Joe Haden and Josh Gordon placed on injury lists
Joe Haden and Josh Gordon joined two other Cleveland Browns players on injury lists heading into training camp.
The Cleveland Browns got the great news on Monday that wide receiver Josh Gordon was available for training camp and the preseason, but fans will have to wait a bit longer to see him on the practice field.
So Josh Gordon reported and physical showed he has quad injury. He won’t practice the first two weeks or so of training camp. #Browns
— PatMcManamon (@PatMcManamon) July 26, 2016
Gordon was placed on the active/non-football injury list, meaning he must pass a physical before he can practice, according to clevelandbrowns.com. He is joined on the list by offensive lineman Conor Boffeli.
Another big name landed on an injury list as cornerback Joe Haden will open camp on the active/physical unable to perform list due to his recovery from ankle surgery. He is joined on the list by rookie tight end Seth DeValve.
#Browns also placed CB Joe Haden (ankle) on active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list. He's still recovering from surgery in March.
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) July 26, 2016
The news about Haden was expected, but the injury sustained by Gordon comes as a surprise. It may be a good thing though, as he will be given more time to sit in on meetings and slowly acclimate himself to not only the offense, but the NFL in general.
He is suspended for the first four games of the regular season anyway, so having him play in at least two preseason games should be enough to see how he is progressing since being reinstated. The news also likely limits the amount of teams out there who would want to offer the Browns a trade for Gordon, at least until he is cleared to be fully healthy by a team doctor.
Next: Josh Gordon's reinstatement is bittersweet
The Browns would be better off holding on to Gordon right now anyway, as there is not much risk around having him on the roster. The team invested in the receiver position through the draft, so if Gordon lets the team down and gets suspended there are plenty of players ready to step up and take his place.